The most outdoor fun Joy had this summer was riding a Segway on a Chicago architectural tour, gliding around the museums on a path bordering Lake Michigan. Segways are electric scooters that respond to your body movements, You stand upright and hold a handlebar; lean forward and you go. At $7,000 we’re not about to buy one but an alternative will be out soon for half that.

It’s called the “S-Walker,” (for “Sky-Walker” or “Speed-Walker,” depending on who you talk to). It was designed in Germany and is being made in China. The price is expected to be $3500 and it should be available early next year. The market would be warehouse workers, couriers, college students and, okay, people who just want to have some fun
Instead of steering by leaning right and left, as you do on the Segway, the S-Walker uses a joystick on the handlebar. Its top speed is 18 miles per hour – much faster than a Segway. You can see a video of it at Engadget.com, which shows a senior lady cruising, scared but doing it. (Bob says these people are about to invent the golf cart.)